Your Opinion, Please!

The authors discuss research-based questionnaire design and offer guidelines for establishing guiding questions, formatting replies, categorizing responses, and using the Internet effectively for gathering information. "The authors′ thoughtful treatment and discussion of the subject deftly walks the reader through each stage of the survey questionnaire process. The book uses terrific examples, gives clear direction, and is an essential reference for survey research in education." —Lawrence Machi, Professor of Organizational Leadership University of La Verne "More and more, district leaders are needing to collect perceptual data through surveys. This book provides guidance in a concise format for busy educators who may not have had training related to survey development." —Ronald L. Russell, Associate Director Loess Hills Area Education Agency 13, IA A user-friendly guide to developing questionnaires that work! Since the first edition of Your Opinion, Please! was published, the demand for accurate information and efficient ways of collecting data has increased in all arenas, and the field of education is no exception. Written by experts, this accessible resource presents the vital elements for creating any type of survey or questionnaire. The second edition has been updated with a significant discussion on the value of using the Internet—and pitfalls to avoid—when gathering information and developing and distributing questionnaires. The updates also include a new chapter on designing questionnaires, in response to the increasing body of research focused on the design elements of questionnaire development. The authors show novice and experienced researchers how to construct a basic questionnaire, collect and analyze the data, and report the results. The material takes readers through the essential stages of questionnaire development and covers: Establishing and clarifying the guiding questions Designing the questionnaire Formatting responses Categorizing responses by group type This user-friendly guidebook also provides examples throughout to illustrate the questionnaire development process, a sample completed survey for reference, and a section on frequently asked questions.